The function of a calibrator consists in heating up or cooling down the accommodation area of a thermometer or a thermal switch to a temperature that has been predetermined by the user and to keep that temperature constant over a certain period of time. To this end, it is necessary to input certain information into the calibrator or the control and regulation unit of the calibrator, such as e.g. the target temperature or the adjustment parameters for adjusting the temperature to a predetermined level. In order to input such information, it is known to provide a certain number of keys on the calibrator, which can be located on one or several key panels. During the calibration process or when inputting the data, it is necessary to display the relevant data. To this end, it is known to provide a display on the calibrator. Thus, it must be kept in mind that the calibrator comprises two different communication devices in order to allow the user to input and control data.
This has several disadvantages. For instance, it must be noted that easily readable input and output units require a relatively large surface area on the calibrator, which is not often available. In addition, disposing more specifically displays on a calibrator is often limited by the fact that such displays can only be mounted on the housing of the calibrator in places where the temperature is not too high. In addition, regional and more specifically language-specific configurations of the input unit, e.g. keys with Arabic or Chinese characters, also imply different hardware, which leads to higher costs due to the plurality of different calibrator embodiments. In addition, it must be noted that mechanical keyboards for inputting the data for the calibration process wear out more or less quickly due to use, the term wear also referring to the fact that the lettering of the keys wears out, which can lead to misuse.